*
AN: Told you I'd get another one. It's just rather short. Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.
*
Strangely Devine Chapter Eleven: Of Nursemaiding
*
Sarah sat next to Jareth and hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder. He jerked away from her touch and stood up. "Don't," he said tonelessly
Sarah gapped "You're-what's wrong?"
He faced away from her and tried to make his world stop spinning. Changing a memory was very powerful and heavy magic and his body was still reeling. He was weak and he didn't necessarily want anyone, most of all Sarah to see him in this state. He waved his arm preparing to vanish himself to his chamber where he would be able to sleep it off.
Sarah's eyes went wide as he waved his arm. Instead of disappearing a shower of glitter as usual, his form wavered and became nearly transparent for the shortest moment before becoming solid again. "Don't do that!" she found herself shrieking as she rose to her feet and grasped Jareth's arm. He could have easily brushed her off but he let her pull him back to the bed.
Jareth tried to focus on something solid, as this wavering unfocused world made him feel slightly nauseous. He settled on Sarah's face and inhaled and exhaled sharply.
"Jareth-"
"I'm fine," he muttered, meeting her eyes and swallowing heavily.
Sarah laughed shortly. She placed her hands on either of his shoulders and pushed him back so his head collided with the soft duvet. "You're anything but fine." She mumbled.
Jareth nodded, consenting to this "I will be fine" he reassured her. "Shall I-I'll-"
"You'll just stay here for a bit longer," Sarah whispered. She found his hand and interlaced hers with his as if it were the most natural thing ever.
Jareth's head twisted sharply in her direction and he immediately regretted it as things became even fuzzier. He let out an impressive sting of curses and finally bit his lip and shut his eyes.
Sarah watched him. She had an idea that whatever he had done to Bella was the cause of this sudden weakness. She looked down in surprise when he gave her hand a squeeze so she squeezed back. The faintest of smiles flicked across his thin delicate lips.
Knowing he wasn't about to catch her in this state, Sarah took the opportunity to check him out fully. She knew that he found her to be just a delicate little human, which was funny. When the Goblin King wasn't up scaring people in his thigh high boots he could look strangely and beautifully delicate.
Yes, as he sucked in a ragged breath and curled his lips back, showing the pointed and white teeth, delicate was the word that came to mind. At this angle the firelight was casting deep shadows over his high bone structure and his skin looked luminously milk pale. One could even see the thinnest of blue veins running in network over his eyelids and it was now that she noticed blue-ish bruise like smudges under his eyes from lack of sleep.
Despite herself, Sarah could not help but touch his cheek lightly, and then moved to his hair to brush it away. Jareth sighed and it glanced off her wrist, causing shivers to run through her. She moved her hand to his throat and undid his cravat. With slow and precise movements she undid the first few buttons on the large billowy shirt and pushed the fabric apart. Shrugging carelessly, she decided it wouldn't hurt to undo a few more.
A large silver pendent slid out into her palm. Sarah studied it for a long moment and decided she had seen it somewhere before in the castle, only she couldn't quite remember where.
She placed it back in his shirt and allowed the briefest of touches to his palled chest, throat and collarbone. Oh, he would be so mad if he ever remembered this, she thought with a grin.
For his part Jareth was aware of small soft hands that were pleasantly cool on his face and neck. He rationalized it was Sarah and focused on a solid black box in his mind's eye in an attempt to make his mind blank. She was making it very hard though and her hands flickered across his chest. Jareth felt something akin to butterflies in his stomach but blocked it all out. He was supposed to be recuperating and it shouldn't take as long as this.
When he opened his eyes again Sarah had taken off his glove and was tracing patterns on the back of his hand with her index finger. Their other hands were still conjoined and laying on the bed next to Jareth's head. He shivered when she moved her fingers around to his wrist and drew small circles against his pulse.
"Sarah?" he asked, to tired to bother with insolence
She looked up from examining then thin blue lines in his wrist to his face, expecting full well to see a self satisfied smirk as usual. His head lay at an angle and he watched her through hooded eyes. "Yes?" She slipped his hand back into the glove.
He didn't say anything, only rolled his head back and stared at her. Sarah looked away.
"Will you be all right?" she asked
He cleared his throat. "Yes." She seemed to want him to elaborate so he did "Memory changing is very-taxing"
"Oh" she had assumed as much. "How long before you're back to normal?"
"Another few minutes and I should be fine" he told her truthfully.
Sarah nodded "Another few minutes then" she said softly and gave his hand a squeeze.
*
Gwendolyn was physically shaking when she ran into her brother. He placed both hands on her shoulders and told her to calm down and she relayed what had happened to him.
"What were they thinking" he muttered, darkly glaring at the high table where Aislinn and the High Queen were talking in low tones.
"I don't know" Gwen sighed. Just then Aislinn glanced over at her and the two locked eyes. Aislinn motioned for her to come over and Gwendolyn groaned. "Oh no, she wants me over there. What do I do? How do I keep myself from hurting her?"
Gaeton laughed nervously "Keep your hands behind your back, dear sister."
Gwendolyn walked shakily up the high table and curtsied low to the High Queen and Princess. "Your highnesses" she said softly.
"Tell Me," Said the High Queen imperiously "Did Prince Dacian find out Sarah's secret?"
Gwendolyn fought the urge to scream at her. "Yes' she bit out. "He did"
"And" Continued the Queen "Did my son take care of the matter?"
That caught Gwendolyn off guard. "Ye-yes" she stuttered "He made a deal"
"Very well" The Queen nodded.
"Where is he now?" asked Aislinn, peering around the room. "And My brother and Sarah as well"
"I do not know where Prince Dacian is," Gwendolyn admitted, unable to keep the disdain out of her voice. "But Sarah and his majesty are in her chambers"
The High Queen and daughter shared a secret smile that took Gwendolyn completely by surprise. They were *planning* something, she realized. Hopefully something that would not bring harm to either Sarah or Jareth. They were planning all the same.
"If I may be so bold-" Gwendolyn started but Aislinn caught her coolly.
"You may not"
*
Sarah glanced at the clock and saw that it was ten till midnight. She wasn't the least bit tired though. Jareth made an annoyed sound then and sat up stalk strait, his shirt hanging open loosely and his neck tie falling back onto the bed. They both looked at their interlaced hands and quickly separated them.
"Better?" she asked with a small smile.
He nodded wordlessly and ran a hand through his hair before clambering off the bed to his feet.
Sarah toyed with her hands and chewed on her lower lip. Well, that had been unexpected, she thought as she watched him. He patted down his hair and then seemed to realize it was a lost cause and did the buttons up on his shirt.
"Are you sure?" she asked, despite herself
Jareth laughed softly and fixed her with a smug look. "I am sure, Lady Sarah" he grinned and cocked an eyebrow "You seem to enjoy playing nursemaid"
"It's all right" Sarah shrugged and couldn't help added, "Well, it's better then naughty stewardess"
She knew he had no idea what a stewardess was but he seemed to understand the meaning. Honestly, she could have said naughty computer software programmer and he would have thought the same thing. Sarah fought not to blush as he fixed her with a strange look. One of amusement, confusion, and possibly shock.
"I bid you goodnight" he chuckled with a wave of his hand, disappeared.
*
AN: That was a bit short, wasn't it.
AN: Told you I'd get another one. It's just rather short. Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.
*
Strangely Devine Chapter Eleven: Of Nursemaiding
*
Sarah sat next to Jareth and hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder. He jerked away from her touch and stood up. "Don't," he said tonelessly
Sarah gapped "You're-what's wrong?"
He faced away from her and tried to make his world stop spinning. Changing a memory was very powerful and heavy magic and his body was still reeling. He was weak and he didn't necessarily want anyone, most of all Sarah to see him in this state. He waved his arm preparing to vanish himself to his chamber where he would be able to sleep it off.
Sarah's eyes went wide as he waved his arm. Instead of disappearing a shower of glitter as usual, his form wavered and became nearly transparent for the shortest moment before becoming solid again. "Don't do that!" she found herself shrieking as she rose to her feet and grasped Jareth's arm. He could have easily brushed her off but he let her pull him back to the bed.
Jareth tried to focus on something solid, as this wavering unfocused world made him feel slightly nauseous. He settled on Sarah's face and inhaled and exhaled sharply.
"Jareth-"
"I'm fine," he muttered, meeting her eyes and swallowing heavily.
Sarah laughed shortly. She placed her hands on either of his shoulders and pushed him back so his head collided with the soft duvet. "You're anything but fine." She mumbled.
Jareth nodded, consenting to this "I will be fine" he reassured her. "Shall I-I'll-"
"You'll just stay here for a bit longer," Sarah whispered. She found his hand and interlaced hers with his as if it were the most natural thing ever.
Jareth's head twisted sharply in her direction and he immediately regretted it as things became even fuzzier. He let out an impressive sting of curses and finally bit his lip and shut his eyes.
Sarah watched him. She had an idea that whatever he had done to Bella was the cause of this sudden weakness. She looked down in surprise when he gave her hand a squeeze so she squeezed back. The faintest of smiles flicked across his thin delicate lips.
Knowing he wasn't about to catch her in this state, Sarah took the opportunity to check him out fully. She knew that he found her to be just a delicate little human, which was funny. When the Goblin King wasn't up scaring people in his thigh high boots he could look strangely and beautifully delicate.
Yes, as he sucked in a ragged breath and curled his lips back, showing the pointed and white teeth, delicate was the word that came to mind. At this angle the firelight was casting deep shadows over his high bone structure and his skin looked luminously milk pale. One could even see the thinnest of blue veins running in network over his eyelids and it was now that she noticed blue-ish bruise like smudges under his eyes from lack of sleep.
Despite herself, Sarah could not help but touch his cheek lightly, and then moved to his hair to brush it away. Jareth sighed and it glanced off her wrist, causing shivers to run through her. She moved her hand to his throat and undid his cravat. With slow and precise movements she undid the first few buttons on the large billowy shirt and pushed the fabric apart. Shrugging carelessly, she decided it wouldn't hurt to undo a few more.
A large silver pendent slid out into her palm. Sarah studied it for a long moment and decided she had seen it somewhere before in the castle, only she couldn't quite remember where.
She placed it back in his shirt and allowed the briefest of touches to his palled chest, throat and collarbone. Oh, he would be so mad if he ever remembered this, she thought with a grin.
For his part Jareth was aware of small soft hands that were pleasantly cool on his face and neck. He rationalized it was Sarah and focused on a solid black box in his mind's eye in an attempt to make his mind blank. She was making it very hard though and her hands flickered across his chest. Jareth felt something akin to butterflies in his stomach but blocked it all out. He was supposed to be recuperating and it shouldn't take as long as this.
When he opened his eyes again Sarah had taken off his glove and was tracing patterns on the back of his hand with her index finger. Their other hands were still conjoined and laying on the bed next to Jareth's head. He shivered when she moved her fingers around to his wrist and drew small circles against his pulse.
"Sarah?" he asked, to tired to bother with insolence
She looked up from examining then thin blue lines in his wrist to his face, expecting full well to see a self satisfied smirk as usual. His head lay at an angle and he watched her through hooded eyes. "Yes?" She slipped his hand back into the glove.
He didn't say anything, only rolled his head back and stared at her. Sarah looked away.
"Will you be all right?" she asked
He cleared his throat. "Yes." She seemed to want him to elaborate so he did "Memory changing is very-taxing"
"Oh" she had assumed as much. "How long before you're back to normal?"
"Another few minutes and I should be fine" he told her truthfully.
Sarah nodded "Another few minutes then" she said softly and gave his hand a squeeze.
*
Gwendolyn was physically shaking when she ran into her brother. He placed both hands on her shoulders and told her to calm down and she relayed what had happened to him.
"What were they thinking" he muttered, darkly glaring at the high table where Aislinn and the High Queen were talking in low tones.
"I don't know" Gwen sighed. Just then Aislinn glanced over at her and the two locked eyes. Aislinn motioned for her to come over and Gwendolyn groaned. "Oh no, she wants me over there. What do I do? How do I keep myself from hurting her?"
Gaeton laughed nervously "Keep your hands behind your back, dear sister."
Gwendolyn walked shakily up the high table and curtsied low to the High Queen and Princess. "Your highnesses" she said softly.
"Tell Me," Said the High Queen imperiously "Did Prince Dacian find out Sarah's secret?"
Gwendolyn fought the urge to scream at her. "Yes' she bit out. "He did"
"And" Continued the Queen "Did my son take care of the matter?"
That caught Gwendolyn off guard. "Ye-yes" she stuttered "He made a deal"
"Very well" The Queen nodded.
"Where is he now?" asked Aislinn, peering around the room. "And My brother and Sarah as well"
"I do not know where Prince Dacian is," Gwendolyn admitted, unable to keep the disdain out of her voice. "But Sarah and his majesty are in her chambers"
The High Queen and daughter shared a secret smile that took Gwendolyn completely by surprise. They were *planning* something, she realized. Hopefully something that would not bring harm to either Sarah or Jareth. They were planning all the same.
"If I may be so bold-" Gwendolyn started but Aislinn caught her coolly.
"You may not"
*
Sarah glanced at the clock and saw that it was ten till midnight. She wasn't the least bit tired though. Jareth made an annoyed sound then and sat up stalk strait, his shirt hanging open loosely and his neck tie falling back onto the bed. They both looked at their interlaced hands and quickly separated them.
"Better?" she asked with a small smile.
He nodded wordlessly and ran a hand through his hair before clambering off the bed to his feet.
Sarah toyed with her hands and chewed on her lower lip. Well, that had been unexpected, she thought as she watched him. He patted down his hair and then seemed to realize it was a lost cause and did the buttons up on his shirt.
"Are you sure?" she asked, despite herself
Jareth laughed softly and fixed her with a smug look. "I am sure, Lady Sarah" he grinned and cocked an eyebrow "You seem to enjoy playing nursemaid"
"It's all right" Sarah shrugged and couldn't help added, "Well, it's better then naughty stewardess"
She knew he had no idea what a stewardess was but he seemed to understand the meaning. Honestly, she could have said naughty computer software programmer and he would have thought the same thing. Sarah fought not to blush as he fixed her with a strange look. One of amusement, confusion, and possibly shock.
"I bid you goodnight" he chuckled with a wave of his hand, disappeared.
*
AN: That was a bit short, wasn't it.